Featured Lace lesson - handmade filet lace vs machine made filet lace

Hi everyone,
I was doing some housecleaning today and had time. Since I ran across these items; I thought I'd do a short lace tutorial.

This tutorial examines some of the differences between handmade and machine made filet lace. Both these examples are enlarged to roughly the same size.

Handmade filet lace is worked with a shuttle needle (which the working thread is wrapped around - much like a shuttle used in weaving); the worker uses the shuttle thread to wrap around a gauge stick. Generally speaking the netting is begun by affixing the working thread to a solid object and the net is made on a diagonal with knots made very evenly around the gauge stick. This results in tiny knots that can be easily felt at every square intersection of the net.

Once the net has been made to the desired size; the net is then affixed to a frame and a separate needle and thread is used to create the woven "linen" or "cloth" areas to the netting that creates the design.

In machine made filet lace; the machine creates this lace in a "straight across and straight down" manner. In doing so; you can see that the warp (up and down threads) clearly run "up and down" - rather "on top" of the weft (design threads) which ultimately "sew" the design into place.

When comparing the feel of these two laces; although they are both quite fine... the handmade lace knots can easily be felt and the lace has a somewhat "coarse" feel. The machine made piece is made without those little tell tale knots and has a very smooth texture.

Not all handmade laces are made using this method; so therefore you can't always identify handmade lace from machine made by feeling for knots.

If you liked this tutorial and would like me to continue from time to time with another comparison; please leave me a comment. Of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Can you guess which one is hand made and which one is machine made? Answer in the comments.

Leslie

 

The answer is - the top example is handmade. The bottom is machine made.

Leslie

 

Unfortunately for me, some of the verbage was a little esoteric...but I guess correctly because I know what straight up and down is!

 

Thank you for this. I have an interest in lace but little knowledge. I pick up bits from jumble/rummage sales when I see them. They are often left behind by others and I can’t bear to leave them to go for rags or into landfill also the amount of work done hand or machine involved
seems worth saving.
I would like to post some I have found so I can find out more about them. Thanks.

 

Very interesting Leslie, I love lace and also hearing about the different types. Thank You for sharing your knowledge ... Joy.

 

Leslie I have just tagged you for Finds page 801 where there are some pieces I found a while back. Do you have any info about them please ?Thanks.

 

Please do!
Leslie

 

I went to the tagged post; but any idea what page I look on? It shows LOTS of pages!
Leslie

 

I believe @Houseful mentioned page 801.....hope that helps @Northern Lights Lodge

OR MORE EXACTLY HERE: https://www.antiquers.com/threads/finds-thread.137/page-801
Scroll about 4/5 of the way down the page to "Houseful's" Avatar!!

 

Thanks Aquitaine

 

Thank you for posting this lace info, Leslie. Looking forward to more.

 

Thank you for lace information, Leslie.
I will be looking at my laces with new found interest!

 

Very informative, thank you! More, please!

 

Happy I paid attention, for once, and could help!!

 

I have books on lace which I haven't read in years but I, too, am fascinated by it! Loved the tutorial and will be sure to read the next ones! Thank you!

 

Thank you, Leslie!